This Is Where I Leave You

Last night a friend and I went to see the movie, This Is Where I Leave You, a comedy starring Jason Bateman as Judd Altman, Tina Fey as Wendy Altman and Jane Fonda as their mother, Hillary Altman. The movie is based on a 2009 novel by Jonathan Tropper and was a New York Times bestseller. I was pretty excited when the opening scenes showed the outside of a beautiful home…yay, another great movie house! I wish I could tell you I liked the movie but I’m afraid my taste in movies runs very different from those being made these days. I did however, enjoy getting glimpses of the home where the movie was filmed!

This movie is one of those rare movies that was actually filmed inside the home and not on a sound stage! This Is Where I Leave You was shot on location at 9 Burnham Place, Manhasset, New York which is located in the Manhasset Village. Anyone familiar with that area? From what I read online, the area is a very popular place for filming movies and was also used to film Mr. and Mrs. Smith, The Good Shepherd and some episodes of a CBS series called, The Good Wife.

We get our first view of the home in this scene toward the beginning of the movie. Cute house!

Here’s a view of it in real life from Google Maps.

It’s kind of interesting seeing all those spiky things on the roof since the homes in Georgia don’t have those. I have seen them on the roof of a couple of pharmacies around here, but that’s about it. I think they are supposed to keep the snow/ice from sliding off the roof and hurting someone. Someone who lives up north will have to confirm that for me. 🙂

The storyline of This Is Where I Leave You is basically about an extremely dysfunctional family that’s coerced by their mother to follow a Jewish tradition of sitting shivah (also spelled shiva) after their father’s death. Jane Fonda, who plays the mother, convinces her four children that this was their father’s one dying wish, though later in the movie you find out this isn’t true.

The “sitting” takes place here in the living room in very short chairs, another part of the tradition (per the movie) that indicates the family is in mourning.

When they film a movie inside a home, normally they will replace the furnishings with what they feel the characters in the movie would have in their home. I wonder if they did that in this movie? Jane Fonda play a wacky psychologist who is a bit of a celebrity due to a best-selling book she’s written on raising children. Ironically, she has about the most dysfunctional children you can imagine. I would have thought her taste in furnishings would run very eclectic and they do. In the movie you’ll often see traditional pieces mixed with more contemporary furnishings.

I’m guessing the wallpaper was already there but would love to know if they added it just for the movie.

In this scene filmed in an upstairs bedroom, we see similar style wallpaper in a different color. Love the aqua tile around the fireplace…very pretty! I also liked a lot of the upholstered pieces in the move. The pics I’m sharing today are the few I could glean from the trailer but I think they give you a flavor for the feel/design of the home in the movie, This Where I Leave You.

The kitchen is also furnished in an eclectic style with fairly traditional chairs paired with an ultra contemporary table.

Reminiscent of Kevin (Home Alone) who gets stuck sleeping in the attic when relatives come to stay before their trip to Europe, poor Judd, played by Jason Bateman, is ousted from his childhood bedroom and is stuck sleeping in the unfinished basement.

We get a brief view of the back of the home in this scene. Notice the enchanting door/gate on the other side of the yard. Wonder what’s on the other side? Is it a secret garden? A door leading to a pool? Unfortunately, we don’t get to see that in the movie. Beautiful back yard!

Here’s a view of the home at night…I love views like this. There’s just something so inviting about the glow of lights inside a home. Several scenes in the movie take place on that small section of roof on the right.

In the movie, Wendy (Tina Fey) and Judd (Jason Bateman) crawl out a window in each of their bedrooms on several occasions for some heart-to-heart chats.

I love that they chose to film this movie inside the home although some of the homes Hollywood creates on-set are pretty awesome, too! We never would have seen that amazing kitchen in Something’s Gotta Give that’s been duplicated many times in real life if not for the creative set designers!

This movie reminded me a lot of the movie, The Big Wedding. Both movies have star-studded casts and took place in beautiful homes. Take a tour of the beautiful lake home in The Big Wedding in this previous post or click on the photo below for that tour: Tour The Home In The Movie, The Big Wedding

Comments

I have this movie on my list to watch. It gave good reviews.
Now Susan, I bet everyone in the theatre was shushing you as you said, ooooh look at that wainscoting and do you see the wallpaper? Now just look at the crown molding!!! 🙂

Susan – love this type of house also. Checked on Google Earth and the overhead shows there are way too many trees for a pool to be located in that area. Oh well…..we can keep on imagining. I would like to think it’s a heated indoor pool enclosed by one of those wrought iron/glass structures!

Yes there was a pool.. After my parents sold the house the new owners got rid of the pool. The Movie showed the outside.. But did a very poor job of showing the spectacular inside..this house had 5 fireplaces… A huge living rm. A huge kitchen ..breakfast nook. Huge dining rm.. Beautiful archways.. Moldings. Spectacular staircase.. So much. I loved living in that house.

I also loved the house! Devoured all the detail. It was beautiful, and the backyard a dream..Like you, the movie was a bit out of my taste in a lot of areas, but the home is a beauty. I thought the same thing…beautiful cozy night scene of the home.

The movie was fun to watch and yes, the entire family seemed dysfunction and very funny. From looking at your photos, the actual house seems to have a much longer front sidewalk to the front of the house than the movie sidewalk. Maybe I cannot judge distance, but the movie sidewalk pictures a car parked much nearer the house. Loved the house and the grounds.

Jean, I know what you mean, I noticed that too about the sidewalk. I think the camera they use atop those Google cars to capture the street views, distorts things, so I bet the sidewalk is shorter than it appears in the Google street view.

My best friend had a movie in her home a few years ago (Welcome to the Reiley’s starring James Gandolfini and Melissa Leo). They used the inside as well as the outside. The film crew made very few changes to the house. The kitchen was repainted and new appliances were put in, even though theirs were fine and you briefly see the kitchen. The film company told them they would repainted after the movie to any color of their choosing.

They were paid for the 6 weeks they had to move out and of course, their hotel bill was paid for during that time (plus food allowance).

They loved the adventure and spent time with the actors (Gandolfini loved spending time in their beautiful yard even when he wasn’t filming) and became friends with the director.

The first time I saw it was in their living room . . . seeing the room I was watching it in was surreal! The house is suppose to be in Indiana, but is actually on the north shore of New Orleans, where the story takes place.

You may like it Franki…it had some funny lines. A lot of it just felt very contrived to me…a lot of those moments where it seems like they are just trying to shock the audience. It is entertaining, though…time passed quickly while watching it.

I am always amazed what good photos Susan takes while watching the movies and how clear the pictures are. No blurred pics. That girl has a steady hand!! This movie is on my list too. Sorry to hear you did not care for it. That is how I felt about The Big Wedding. Beauticul house, disappointing movie.

Hi Susan. I love visiting your website and love the home tours. I have been looking for a home that I use to watch on tv many years ago starring Tine Daly and I thought the name of it was called “Family”. I loved watching it but the main reason I think that I watched it was because of the home. As the show starts they show the livingroom and the baby grand piano with a fringed scarf and pictures on it. I could go on and on but not enough room. Does this ring a bell with you? Best part of all there were back stairs leading from the upstairs to the KITCHEN!!!!! Love that. If you could help I’d appreciate it. It’s driving me crazy. Haha. Mary

Thanks, Mary! I love a house with a back staircase! Was it by any chance, Judging Amy? I don’t remember much about that show but I think she was in it. Here’s a site that shows some of the movies and TV shows she was in so you may be able to find it listed there. http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0002033/ Wish I had seen more of the show now hearing it had a great house!

The spikes are to keep ice and snow from forming into big sheets and sliding off the roof. An event like that can be fatal. My husband and I grew up north of NYC. The town was popular for filming movies and TV. The locals got tired of always being tied up so filming is no longer permitted. My folks were asked for permission to shoot the outside of their home for a B&B and my Mom refused because she didn’t want to cause a traffic jam for the neighbors. I was disappointed because the show was a favorite of mine and I loved getting glimpses of “home” when we lived 16 hours away.

Thanks, Pam…I was thinking that might be it. I had some ice fall off my porch this past winter and it gave my boxwood topiaries an unwanted prunning! 🙁 So if it will do that do a shrub, I bet it could definitely hurt a person or a pet. That was thoughtful of your Mom. I bet the neighbors would have loved seeing all the commotion. 🙂

Hi Susan, You are correct. My husband who had a 40 year career in construction confirmed the “spiky” things on the roof are to break up ice and snow. Especially used on very sloped roofs, churches and business’ here in the North.
I enjoy the house tours and all of your site.
Joan

The little black discs all over the rooftop are Zep Solar Sleek Mount Panel Mounts for SolarCity PV Solar. They removed the panels for filming to prevent damage to the panels during the rooftop chat scene.

I was going to say the same thing. I have a long memory, and I don’t forgive traitors. Jane Fonda can….kiss my b.f.a. I don’t care to increase her bank account in any way. The house looks beeyootiful though.

Manhasset is here on LI, not far from Alma. My guess that door is a garden accent. Many of the properties are not that large, not uncommon to have a very expensive home on a 100×100 piece of property. Afterall, we live on an island 20 miles wide by 120 miles long. Think of LI as a fish. The eye is Manhattan, and the 2 tails represent the North and South forks, the end of the island. Manhasset is east of NYC, on the North shore.
The ice stops are not required but many have them, esp if they have a slate roof.

Hi Susan! We saw this movie opening night. I have to admit both my husband and I laughed out loud in several places. All the best parts were not in the trailer which made me happy. When the house first appeared on screen, I think I actually gasped out loud! It made my heart go pitty pat. The shot of the “long” sidewalk to the house is due to the camera angle. It was much shorter, but the perfect distance from the street. The very first picture you posted is accurate. The answers about the spikes on the roof are correct. They’re to protect passersby from falling ice and snow, but you only see them on slate roofs. When I saw this house I couldn’t help thinking “this will be another great movie house for Susan”, haha! Thank you! I do miss Jane Fonda movies. 🙂

Hubby and I saw this over the weekend. I was immediately captivated by the home and furnishings. The upholstered chairs in the bedroom and the living room were just lovely, as was that delicious blue tile around the fireplace. The cast was wonderful, and we enjoyed it very much!

Love white homes with black shutters and a red door combo…2nd. only to a pretty yellow cottage. The style of this home is so pretty. We’ve passed this town, on Long Island’s north shore, but have never visited…maybe next time around. Long Island has some gorgeous places, but traffic is killer with the summer beach folks heading out to the Hamptons.

Hi, Susan! I live “up north” in the Kansas City area where we get a ton of snow and ice during the winter of months, but I’ve never seen those spike things on any rooftop. I’ve lived here pretty much all my life, and I’ve yet to see a roof like that. I saw where Joan said her husband confirmed that’s what they’re for, so I wonder why they’re not standard in building here? Hmmm. Got to look into that one, especially the next time we have our roof replaced!

I love Jason Bateman and Tina Fey, so I’ll probably watch this movie when it comes out on cable. I saw the movie “The Big Wedding” with that crazy Robert DeNiro, and I loved everything about that house! I have to pop over and see your pics!

Alycia, that is so interesting that they don’t have them where you live even though you guys get a lot of snow. Wonder why some places have them and some don’t. I was shocked when I noticed them on the roof of a few new pharmacies around here. I love Tina Fey too but wasn’t very familiar with Jason Bateman. He’s great in this movie, though!

I grew up in the Manhasset house in the movie. The staircase leading to the kitchen went up to the bedroom above the garage. There was no access to other parts of the upstairs. There was a pool at the end of the backyard when I lived there. The metal pieces on the slate roof are to hold the snow which actually makes a good insulator in very cold weather. My younger brothers used to sit on the roof at night since their bedroom window was what you see to the left in the movie. The basement stairs are not correctly placed and was finished so those scenes were not filmed in the house. My bedroom was the one in front with the air conditioner in the google maps photo. A great house, a great town, great times.

Chuck, thanks so much for your comment! I love learning more about the home. So the steps just led to the F.R.O.G. (finished room over the garage) or the bonus room as they call it here in Georgia. That’s so neat about your younger brothers…wonder if that’s where they got the idea for that in the movie…maybe someone told them about your brothers doing that. 🙂 It must have been such an experience for you seeing the movie after having lived there!

It was great to see the interior after so many years. We moved from the house around 1977-8. Many memories of throwing the ball on the front lawn and riding bikes around the circle at the end of the cul-de-sac. Thanks so much for creating a forum for reminiscing and sharing comments.

I love this site! I too loved the aqua/gold floral pattern wallpaper in the front room of this house. Does anyone have a clue where to find it? Most of my searches left me with ugly patterns from the 80s.

I’m google searching and came across this site. I would like more information about the painting in the hall. Someone asked about it earlier, but no answer as yet. That is an amazing painting and I would love to know the artist and maybe buy a print.

So glad I found this page – I’ve been searching for this house because it is identical to our house in Winnetka IL. So similar that while watching the movie, my husband and I kept saying things like “Wait, that window is in the dining room, not the living room….” In our house in IL, the staircase also went directly up to the room over the garage, but previous owners cleverly extended the dormer to make a hallway (and unfortunately took away the part of the roof where the characters sat). Interesting that our house is so similar to the Manhasset NY house, and yet so far away. Ours is for sale if anyone is a major fan of the movie and wants to recreate it – without the roof sitting scene, that is!